The 2026 college football season is ready to kick off, while the NFL is just around the corner. And before you know it, the 2027 NFL Draft will be here. It’s never too early to look at the strengths and expectations of the positions before a regular-season ball snaps. Here’s the outlook on how the scoring side of the ball is shaping up for next April.

Quarterback

I’m usually very conservative, if not skeptical, about future quarterback classes. Much of this has to do with the disappointment from so many past classes. That said, you’ve got to be excited about the 2027 class of quarterbacks and the potential it holds.

Dante Moore of Oregon, Arch Manning from Texas, and Notre Dame’s CJ Carr all project as top-10 picks on my board, with Darian Mensah of Miami not far behind.

LaNorris Sellers of South Carolina, Trinidad Chambliss from Mississippi, and Drew Mestemaker of Oklahoma State all grade as potential first-round signal callers, depending on how they perform this season. North Carolina State’s CJ Bailey is a signal caller we could be talking about as a top-20 pick if he keeps progressing. Then there’s Brendan Sorsby, graded as a top-15 prospect by scouts coming into the season before it all blew up.

Looking for an off-the-radar quarterback prospect? Keep an eye out for Caden Veltkamp of Florida Atlantic.

The position offers quality at the top and depth through the middle part of Day 3, so make sure you look past the big names everyone will be mentioning each weekend.

Running Back

The past two drafts had multiple running backs selected in the first round, with each year offering a ball carrier who ended up in the top six picks. That streak should continue in April of 2027, as the class offers a great combination of feature ball carriers as well as third-down backs.

This year, the strength of the position can be found in the SEC and ACC.

Kewan Lacy is an absolute beast of a running-back prospect, and the Mississippi ball carrier is a complete player. He’s outstanding carrying the ball, catching it, and blocking for his quarterback. Already considered an early first-round prospect by scouts, Lacy will be graded higher than Ashton Jeanty when he enters the draft.

Florida’s Jadan Baugh could also end up as a first-round pick and carries such a grade from many scouts.

Mark Fletcher Jr. of Miami, Louisville’s Isaac Brown, Ahmad Hardy from Missouri, and Justice Haynes, who took his game from Michigan to Georgia Tech, all grade as second-round prospects.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

While the media will focus on the quarterback class of 2027, the receiver position holds better top-end talent.

Barring catastrophe, Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State will be the highest-rated player in the 2027 NFL Draft and the highest-rated receiver since Calvin Johnson; he’s that good. Yet Smith is unlikely to be the first, second, or even third player selected in the draft because of the quarterbacks. He will be great value once he falls past the second selection.

Not far behind is Cam Coleman, who takes his game to Texas after a very productive season at Auburn last year. I expect Coleman to be a top-12 player next April, and the second receiver drafted.  For comparison, Coleman would’ve graded higher than any of the receivers selected in the 2026 Draft.

Charlie Becker of Indiana and Alabama’s Ryan Coleman-Williams are potential first-rounders, as is Mario Craver of Texas A&M, the sleeper of the top-end wideouts.

The tight end class is more unsettled.

Trey’Dez Green is the only “surefire” first-rounder, as the LSU tight end literally looks like an NBA power forward on the football field. His upside is incredible, though there is room for improvement in his game.

Jamari Johnson of Oregon, Ben Brahmer, who moves to Penn State after three years at Iowa State, and Luke Reynolds, who went the other way by transferring from Penn State to Iowa State, all carry second-round grades.

Offensive Line

The offensive-tackle class looks really good and could turn into a spectacular group, depending on how the top prospects play in 2026. Jordan Seaton, who’ll play for LSU this season after lining up at Colorado last year, Trevor Goosby of Texas, and Iowa’s Trevor Lauck are all first-round left tackles.

Lauck’s teammate, Kade Pieper, is far and away the best center in the class and is a late Round 1 prospect.

The top guards in next year’s draft are likely to be college tackles who move inside. Austin Siereveld of Ohio State is highly rated and will play guard this season after two successful years at tackle. Tackles Carter Smith of Indiana and Cayden Green from Missouri will also get consideration at guard in the pre-draft process.  Both grade as day-two prospects.